Is Expanding Heathrow the Best Choice for the UK?

According to government sources quoted by the BBC, Heathrow is definitely going to get its third runway. The news comes courtesy of insiders that say the committee responsible has made the decision quietly, and it'll be announced today by the Transport Secretary.

But is it really the best idea? Lots of posh houses are going to have to get smashed to bits for it, there will be more aeroplanes noisy-ing up the sky, jet engines make pollution and going abroad is about to be outlawed by our totalitarian leaders -- so surely there's a better way?

Gatwick's in the countryside below London and just as awkward to get to as Heathrow, so why not do it there? And what about that new island idea? We'd look very smart as a country if we made a new island for an airport, plus it'd give London a chance to refresh more of its transport infrastructure.

Or maybe, seeing as we'll probably have run out of oil before the Heathrow expansion has been consulted on, planned, protested against, funded and built, we should move away from air travel altogether? Let's all holiday in Blackpool again, the food's cheap and everything comes with chips, and everyone there speaks a kind of English. [BBC]